World Urban Campaign - Better City, Better Life

Join the World Urban Campaign — better City, better life

Join the World Urban Campaign —

The second and third decades of the 21st Century will be an unprecedented moment in human history when the global population moves from 50% urban today to 70% urban in little over a generation from now. Arguably the greatest challenge facing humanity, a collaborative, sustainable approach to all aspects of this rapid urbanization is needed.

The World Urban Campaign provides the necessary environment for collaboration. Coordinated by UN-Habitat, but owned and driven by a long list of committed partners, the Campaign is your opportunity to become part of the urban solution - yes, join the partnership today.

Working together, urban communities – those living and working in towns and cities, and those who have an impact on development – can set precedents, develop tools and offer policy options to achieve resilient and sustainable urban communities by engaging partners in a global movement of public, private and social sectors worldwide.

Cities are the greatest legacy of humanity. We need to nurture them carefully.

www.worldurbancampaign.org

“We need to demonstrate that change is possible through the genius,creativity and audacity of peopleand decision-makers to make the Wisest choices for our urban future. this is the essence of the World urban campaign”. Joan Clos United nations Under-secretary-General

Executive Director of Un-Habitat

The 21st Century Urban Challenge

The second and third decades of the 21st century will see an irreversible and historically unprecedented phenomenon. Half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, a figure that will reach 60% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. The number of cities with more than 1 million inhabitants has exploded to over 450, more than 20 of which are ‘megacities,’ with a population of more than 10 million.

Much of this urbanization is taking place in developing nations and is changing the physical and demographic face of our world. In 1950, developing nations accounted for less than 40% of the world’s urban population. By 2005 that figure reached 70%. It is projected that urban population in developing nations will continue to grow reaching 80% by 2030. By 2050, 93% of the urban population growth will occur in developing countries.

This age of urban dominance and economic globalization has produced patterns of growth and development that simultaneously provide dynamic opportunities and pose imperative challenges.

One of the major challenges faced by cities today is the growing number of urban dwellers living in slum conditions. About one third of the world urban population live in these conditions and

if populations continue to grow, by 2020, about 889 million people will live in slums. The percentage of populations living in these conditions is higher in some regions, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 6 out of 10 urban resident are living in slums. Many such slums are squatter settlements comprised of improvised dwellings, characterized by an absence of any formal urban planning and disconnected from the city’s infrastructure. Lacking necessary resources and policy priorities, most city governments are often ill-equipped to meet the demands of rapid urbanization and the needs of urban futures.

The prevalent global standard urbanization model has produced unbalanced densities, segregation, poverty and environmental degradation. It has missed the economic advantages offered by economies of agglomeration, while loosing the sense of conviviality that the street and public space could generate. It has isolated a large part of the population in slums and sub-standard suburbs, against the formal city and its gated communities that increasingly require surveillance and control. The unexpected consequences of this unsustainable model include the increasing cost of living in cities, unemployment, high energy consumption and negative environmental impacts.

The prevalent global standard urbanization model generates segregation, poverty and environmental degradation in most parts of the World.

The positive role of cities

The urban transition may pose complex challenges for a shared, sustainable future. Yet cities provide the answers to these challenges and are the drivers of their solutions. Cities themselves are the greatest asset in promoting and pursuing sustainable development.

Urbanization and urban density bring value. In a compact and well-planned city, investments in urban infrastructure will reach more recipients and yield more per-dollar benefit than in rural contexts. A compact city offers businesses a comparative advantage in terms of competitiveness and employment. Poor and disadvantaged people living in cities are more likely to be lifted out of poverty than their rural counterparts.

Cities also offer the best climate change solutions. A compact, densely populated and well-planned city generates lower emissions and consumes less energy per capita than sprawling and dispersed urban districts.

The quality of a city’s urban fabric has significant implications for ecologically sustainable development given that buildings account for 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Of equal importance, a densely populated, well-planned city offers the opportunity for inclusive governance, which is fundamental to sustainable urban development.

The urban agenda must necessarily recognize, promote and capitalize on this positive role of cities as drivers of solutions.

© João Monteiro

Raising the urban agenda

How we plan, build and manage our cities now will determine the outcome of our efforts to achieve more sustainable and harmonious development tomorrow. Addressing the challenges of our urban future, and harnessing the city as an asset, requires the commitment of all as city changers for a better urban future.

But cities cannot address all these challenges alone. The urban agenda has to be set as part of national government policy. Elevating the urban agenda and dealing with the fastest urbanization rates in history are challenges which will require new, innovative ways of thinking, new levels of understanding, and most importantly, new partnerships.

This is the essence of the World Urban Campaign: engaging the public at large, the civil society, the business sector, the research community and governments in a global movement that elevates the urban agenda through a positive vision and understanding of the tremendous benefits cities can bring to future generations.

The World Urban Campaign is a global partnership designed to promote a positive vision for sustainable urbanization and place the urban agenda at the highest level in development policies. Its mission is to achieve these objectives by engaging and mobilizing partners around the world from every walk of life.

Engaging the public at large, the civil society, the business sector, the research community and governments in a global movement is the essence of the World Urban Campaign.

Campaign goals

The Campaign offers a broad platform to raise the urban agenda, improve policies at national level, and raise awareness for sustainable urbanization. Coordinated by UN-Habitat, but owned and driven by our valued partners, the Campaign has these goals:

The success of the World Urban Campaign will be measured by the presence and enactment of more policies promoting sustainable urban development at the national level.

1

to uniteconvince public, private and social sectors that investing in creative, resilient and sustainable cities and communities are essential to our shared future.

2

to connectcreate lasting linkages among all city changers and facilitate the coherent and strategic coordination of partners.

3

to enableprovide the means to achieve creative, resilient and sustainable cities and communities.

4

to measureestablish benchmarks, monitor progress and share knowledge worldwide.

The road to success

The World Urban Campaign is guided by seven key principles*:

1accessible and pro-poor land, infrastructure, services, mobility and housing.

2socially inclusive, gender sensitive, healthy and safe development.

3Environmentally sound and carbon-efficient built environment.

4Participatory planning and decision making.

5Vibrant and competitive local economies promoting decent work and livelihoods.

6assurance of non-discrimination and equal rights to the city.

7Empowering cities and communities to plan for and effectively manage adversity and change.

* The World Urban Campaign principles have been approved by the World Urban Campaign Steering

Committee at its second session in Paris on 9 December 2009.

Towards an Equitable, Prosperous and Sustainable City for the 21st century

The World Urban Campaign’s thematic areas are:

a Resilient City — Prepare cities for change, managing adversity, resilience and take action to reduce risk. Urbanization and development can only be sustainable if it is adaptable to future demands and risks, and is resilient to the consequences of climate change or natural disasters. Empowering cities and communities to plan for and effectively manage adversity is fundamental to the urban agenda.

a Green City — Build environmen-tally sound and carbon efficient cities. Buildings alone account for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and the way we plan and design our cities now will have significant implications for how resilient, resource efficient and environmentally sound they are in the future. A green city means promoting sustainable development through a carbon efficient built environment.

a safe and Healthy City — Make cities livable places.Cities hold the answers to challenges posed by urbanization, which are in turn inextricably linked to issues of and agendas concerning the economy, climate change, resource consumption, food security and more. Cities need to be highly livable environments in order to capitalize on their tremendous potential as the drivers of sustainable solutions to our current and future challenges.

an Inclusive City — Build socially inclusive, accessible, pro-poor, equitable and gender sensitive cities. Socially equitable development is one of the three pillars of sustainability, and is vital to creating a shared, sustainable urban future. The challenges posed by the pace and scale of contemporary urbanization require us to invest in infrastructure, development and political processes that promote inclusivity, and a pro-poor, gender sensitive agenda. An inclusive city promotes equitable rights to the city and therefore allows all citizens to partake of the urban advantage.

a Planned City — Plan the cities of tomorrow for sustainable decision-making processes. Sustainable urbanization and development requires planning processes and political frameworks that harness the city’s assets and potential. Sustainable planning entails participatory decision making processes and particular attention to development that balances social, environmental and economic needs. Of equal importance, sustainable planning and a planned city are fundamental to achieving the characteristics of all other World Urban Campaign thematic areas.

a Productive City — Make cities more efficient and better places to ensure decent work. Economically equitable development is also one of the three pillars of sustainability, and a requisite component of any healthy, livable and sustainable city. Pursuing a sustainable development agenda means planning cities that promote and foster livelihoods for all citizens through economic opportunities.

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Media partners to spread the mes-sage. Telling the stories of what works best and what doesn’t, the media are cru-cial, indispensible partners for advancing and disseminating the urban agenda.

THE PaRTnERs

— Arcadis— Building and Wood Workers — International— Commonwealth Association of Planners — CRECC— DCity— ENDA RUP— GDF SUEZ— Global Parliamentarians on Habitat — Global Urban Development— Green World City Organisation— Habitat for Humanity— Habitat Partner Universities— Habitat Professionals Forum— Huairou Commission— IAU lIe de France— International Union of Architects (UIA) — Isocarp— Josslyn Institute of Sustainable Communities— Lafarge— Metropolis— Penn Institute for Urban Research of the University of Pennsylvania— Practical Action— Siemens · Siemens Stiftung— UNISDR— United Cities and Local Governments — University of Napoli— UPSAB— Veolia Environnement— WBCSD— World Future Council— Zerofootprint

Campaign partners

Taking the slogan to unite to heart, our valued partners in the World Urban Cam-paign include a balanced mix of public, private sector and community represen-tatives. They are also a balanced mix of people from the global north and south.

Political Partners representing local governments, communities, and national governments. Local governments and parliamentarians are responsible for pursuing sustainable development policies at the urban and regional scale, as well as inclusive governance measures sensitive to the needs of their constituencies. National governments must necessarily support policy frameworks that elevate the urban agenda and bolster local government efforts to pursue sustainable urbanization.

Civil society Partners are indispensible partners for advancing and disseminating the urban agenda. Community-based and civil society organisations utilize innovative solutions for helping the urban poor and promoting sustainable development. Many have developed effective ways of collaborating with their national governments and municipalities to advance the urban agenda and the needs of their constituents.

Business partners vital to the pursuit of sustainable urban development, they are well honed to address the challenges of our urban future and can utilize its dynamism, adaptability and ingenuity to harness the benefits and tremendous potential of cities. Philanthropic foundations and development banks and agencies are critical partners as well by providing and mobilizing the resources to turn intention into intervention.

Expert partners from the academic world and researchers generate vital contributions and fresh ideas for dealing with the fast evolving urban agenda. The World Urban Campaign recognizes that professionals from a broad range of human settlements and sustainability related fields bring key expertise and experience requisite for delivering sustainable urbanization at scale. Researchers and academia generate vital contributions and normative solutions for progressing and evolving the urban agenda.

Other partners and members are listed on the World Urban Campaign website:


How can I join?

There are many ways you can become a partner depending on your preferences and capabilities:

• You have a story to tell or an ongoing project in your city or community that you feel deserves international attention, and would be useful to others.

• You would like to know how other people and communities are dealing with issues that you have in your community.

• You would like to take part in a global network and coalition dedicated to policy debate and policy development.

• You would like to make use of the products of the campaign for educational, training and advocacy purposes.

• You would like to have a say in determining policies and priorities of the campaign together with other partners.

• You would like to become a sponsor of any of the above.

1

as an individual, be a City Changer

2

as an organisation, be a Member/Partner/Sponsor of the World Urban Campaign

3

as a city, be part of the 100 Cities

4

as a country, launch your National Urban Campaign

Join us:www.worldurbancampaign.org

Join as a City Changer

I’M A CITY CHANGER is an initiative to raise awareness on positive actions that have demonstrated impacts on people’s lives in urban areas and improve the livability of cities.

I’M A CITY CHANGER shall serve as a conduit for the World Urban Campaign to raise awareness on fundamental issues and campaigning on our urban future, our cities, each and everyone’s city.

I’M A CITY CHANGER awareness campaigns in cities and special events shall trigger a global movement putting cities at the heart of solutions to ensure a harmonious future for ourselves and generations to come.

City Changers• Raise awareness in a City/Community/Neighborhood on key issues to achieve positive impacts towards better cities.• Share experiences and learn from other cities in order to contribute to further change

successful City Changers demonstrate positive changes towards:

• A Resilient City • A Green City • A Safe and Healthy City • An Inclusive City • A Planned City • A Productive City

I’M a CITY CHanGER awareness campaignsCity Changers join for better cities in city-level campaigns engaging the general public and demonstrating the value of attitudes and practices towards improving the livability of cities. Those city-level campaigns shall be able to convey to each and every citizen, young and elderly, men and women, that changes in consumption, technology use, life styles and attitudes can dramatically improve our quality of life and impact on the livability of cities in the future generations.

Communications resourcesCity Changer e-magazine: an electronic magazine to disseminate key messages, experiences and practices that demonstrate positive changes in improving the livability of cities.City Changer website: a dynamic web platform for interaction between city changers.City Changer social media: 2.0 platforms for everyday interaction between networks and city changers.

www.imacitychanger.org

Sign up to the World Urban Campaign as a Member or Partner

You are a non-governmental organisation, a community-based organisa-tion, a research institution, a foundation, a private sector company, a university… you can engage as it suits you:

Members sign up to the World Urban Campaign Paris Principles while pro-moting the Campaign in their activities and communication.They are listed on the Campaign website and main bro-chures.They enjoy visibility at the World Urban Forum.

lead Partners are official partners of UN-Habitat and are committed to the World Urban Campaign activities through their in-kind contribution to the Campaign’s core activities. They are members of the Campaign Steering Committee in which they participate regularly. They enjoy high visibility through the Campaign branding, and especially at the World Urban Forum.

associate Partners sign up to the Paris Principles, promote the Campaign in their activities and communication and commit through in-kind contributions to the Campaign’s core activities. They are listed on the Campaign website, main brochure, have their activities mentioned in the Campaign calendar of events, enjoy visibility at the World Urban Forum.

sponsors provide cash contributions to the Campaign for core Campaign activities. They also participate in key decisions as members of the Campaign Steering Committee. They enjoy higher visibility through the Campaign branding, and especially at the World Urban Forum, where they are also considered World Urban Forum sponsors.

Partners can enjoy various levels of status, such as Lead or Sponsoring partner.

sElECTIon PRoCEss

To sign on institutions are kindly asked to contact the Campaign Se-cretariat. For more details, read the World Urban Campaign Guidelines for Partners Engagement. A mem-bership entry form is available from


sign up!

Join the 100 Cities

Cities join the 100 Cities Initiative of the World Urban Campaign. The idea is that cities interact with one another in many ways and generate a critical mass of shared knowledge, experiences and practices which can be turned into positive action.

Cities gather in 100 Cities interactive learning events to share experiences and practices, and turn knowledge into positive action. This knowledge is consolidated yielding a collection of living practices.

These demonstrate positive change towards the green city, the produc-tive city, the inclusive city, the planned city, the safe and healthy city and the resilient city.

Living practices are holistic and forward looking. They provide dynamic learning opportunities and are organized around principles of sharing and structured learning through partnering. The processes and outcomes of living practices will be documented, reported and measured over time.

Some of the key benefits accruing to cities participating in the 100 Cities include:• exposure to a global network of partners promoting more enabling policies and leading edge practices in sustainable urban development• recognition at national and international levels as a city or community committed to innovation and change• insights to new public-private partnerships and models for investment• opportunities to learn from a large number of cities and communities engaged in green economic development opportunities, technologies and know how• access to a vast array of tried and tested tools, methods and approaches for effective urban planning and man-agement and sustainable and resilient housing and urban development.

signing up to the 100 Cities initiativeA Campaign Partner proposes that a city join the 100 Cities Initiatve. A City Champion designated by the Campaign Partner reports annually on the city’s achievements. Cities share their experiences and best practices through learning events and by telling their stories.

WUC partner proposes/supports the city to become part of the

100 cities.

City champion reports annually on the city’s achievements.

Cities share their experiences/best practises through learning

events.

Communications resources City Changer e-magazine: a bi-monthly electronic magazine to disseminate key messages, experiences and practices that demonstrate positive changes in improving the livability of cities.

World Urban Campaign and I’m a City Changer websites: includes a 100 cities web platform for interaction between cities and knowledge sharing.

Events100 Cities learning Conferences: international events bringing together cities, World Urban Campaign members and partners, successfull city changers to share experiences and practices, and turn knowledge into positive action.

www.worldurbancampaign.org/ 100cities

Launch Your National Urban Campaign

national Urban Forums and advocacy at Country levelNational governments have a vital role to play in advancing the World Urban Campaign. They must support its policy framework in order to raise high the urban agenda and strengthen local governments and other partner’s efforts to achieve sustainable urbanization.

The national Urban Forums are conceived to serve as advocacy platforms and vehicles to raise the profile of urban issues in partner’s countries. They are meant to: • support the design of a policy framework for concerted action and programmes that address national urban issues, • promote the World Urban Campaign at the national level, • contribute to the preparations of the World Urban Forum by mobilizing all concerned national stakeholders and harmonizing their option in support of the urban agenda.

National Governments are encouraged to launch their own national Urban Campaign using the National Urban Forum framework in promotion

of the urban agenda engaging all partners and mobilizing the media to disseminate key messages.

National governments shall catalyze the engagement of the partners from civil society, press and media, business organisations, local authorities, the research and academia through National Urban Forums, which have the potential to articulate pressing urban issues building on their national urban agenda.

National urban campaigns shall emphasize positive changes in the urban sector, reward successful initiatives, and encourage all key players to take bold action for better cities.

Communication resources City Changer e-magazine: a bi-monthly electronic magazine to disseminate key messages, experiences and practices that demonstrate positive changes in improving the livability of cities.

World Urban Campaign website: a web platform for interaction and knowledge sharing between members and partners, cities, national urban fora.

Better City, Better Life and I´m a City Changer, must become a reality at the national level.

How it works Governing structureBeyond member and partner organisations, the World Urban Campaign is comprised of several governing committees under the leadership of the UN-Habitat Executive Director:

• The World Urban Campaign Steering Committee• The World Urban Campaign Secretariat• The World Urban Campaign Standing Committee • The World Urban Campaign Sub-Committees

THE CaMPaIGn sTEERInG CoMMITTEE

The Steering Committee is the World Urban Campaign’s governing body and is comprised of UN-Habitat’s partner organisations. The Steering Committee is responsible for establishing the campaign’s goals and objectives, defining the activities strategies and annual workplan, and setting the campaign’s governing procedures. The Steering Committee elects its Chair and Co-Chair every two years. The Steering Committee works closely with the World Urban Campaign Secretariat.

THE CaMPaIGn sECRETaRIaT

The World Urban Campaign Secretariat is the UN-Habitat team responsible for coordinating the Steering Committee and monitoring its activities. The

Secretariat’s primary roles are to monitor, guide and liaise with partners and committees in order to carry out agreed activities, to coordinate the Campaign’s workplan and events, and to develop protocols and processes to match the Campaign’s goals with partners’ interests. The Secretariat includes an internal UN-Habitat- based Task Force to advise on campaign strategies and communications activities as well as support the mainstreaming of the Campaign throughout the organisation.

THE CaMPaIGn sTanDInG CoMMITTEE

The Standing Committee is the Steering Committee’s executive organ and is comprised of up to 11 partners. The Standing Committee sets and approves the Steering Committee’s agenda, reviews progress reports and new member applications and approves expenditures.

THE CaMPaIGn sUB-CoMMITTEEs

The Sub-Committees serve as working groups for World Urban Campaign activities and are comprised of Steering Committee members. Sub-Committees help plan and bolster a variety of campaign activities such as outreach and communication strategies, business plans and resource mobilization, knowledge sharing and capacity building.

Un-HaBITaTExECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WUC STEERING COMMITTEE WUC SECRETARIAT

WUC STANDING COMMITTEE SUB-COMMITTEES

The WUC governing body:• Advisory body to the Executive Director• Catalyzing, action-planning and monitoring organ Composition: UN-Habitat + Partners

Secretariat of the World Urban Campaign, coordinating the Steering Committee.Composition: UN-Habitat team

Executive organ of the Steering Committee.Composition: UN-Habitat + Partners

• Tools and Methods• Good Policies and Enabling Legislation• Communication• Resource Mobilization• Monitoring and Reporting

World Urban Campaign Activities

All members promote the World Urban Campaign and its six thematic areas in their activities and communication, and in turn enjoy visibility in the World Urban Campaign website and materials, and at the World Urban Forum. There are three levels of Campaign activities that all members contribute to:

awareness BuildingAwareness Building activities include the I’m a City Changer awareness campaigns, 100 Cities events and the World Urban Forum.

Knowledge sharingKnowledge Sharing activities include initiatives bolstered by the work of Campaign Sub-Committees such as Good Policies & Enabling Legislations, Tools and Methods and general knowledge dissemination and capacity building.

CommunicationCommunication activities disseminate information about the campaign. These activities and materials include the City Changer Magazine, Appeal Material, the World Urban Campaign and the I’m a City Changer website.

It’s time for change. It’s time for action.Join the World Urban Campaign.Become a City Changer.

Coordinated by

Official Sponsors

Partners

World Urban Campaign SecretariatUN-Habitat

ana B. MorenoCHIEF, ADVOCACY, OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS

Christine auclairPROJECT LEADER, WORLD URBAN CAMPAIGN

OUTREACH/EVENTS:

silvia Ragoss

EDITORIAL:

Roman Rollnick

WEB/PUBLICATIONS:

Victor Mgendi

PRESS AND MEDIA:

Jeanette Elsworth

I’m a CIty Changer COMMUNICATION:

Rosa suriñach

aDMInIsTRaTIon:

Portia Machancoses Josephine Chege

ConTaCT:

EMaIl: [email protected]

TEl.: +254 20 762 4576


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World Urban Campaign - Better City, Better Life

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